In interviews carried out by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NOHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) West researchers, council staff in the southwest of England saw air quality as an issue affecting multiple departments. They also identified mechanisms that helped them work together to tackle it.
Poor air quality is one of the most significant environmental public health challenges. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly four million people die each year because of air pollution. It is possible that poor air quality reduces life expectancy and may cause around 30,000 premature deaths each year in the UK.
The Clearways study looked at how the issue of air quality impacted decision-making in seven local councils in the southwest of England. During the project, researchers interviewed staff working in public health, environmental health and transport.
The study team found that interviewees saw air quality as an issue affecting multiple departments within a local council. For example, environmental health teams were responsible for regulatory compliance, while changes made by transport teams often had the biggest impact.
Paper: Turner A et al. (2023). Integrated working in local authority decision-making about air quality: a qualitative study in Southwest England. Journal of Public Health.